that, as I deprecate on my own part the calling any man

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mad," or a "fool," who may view this subject in another light, so do I condemn such conduct in others as illogical and unfair. It may suit that state of mind which prevents us from examining a question, which possibly we have neither time nor inclination to consider; but surely it is more consistent with true wisdom to "search out the matter," and, having weighed impartially the evidence on either side, to draw a fair conclusion, than to attempt to cut it short by the mere ipse dixit of an individual, which, after all, must be of very secondary importance. It is sometimes convenient to cut that knot, which might prove too hard for us to untie.

WILLIAN RECTORY, 19th Jan. 1832.

that, as I deprecate on my own part the calling any man "mad," or a "fool," who may view this subject in another light, so do I condemn such conduct in others as illogical and unfair. It may suit that state of mind which prevents us from examining a question, which possibly we have neither time nor inclination to consider; but surely it is more consistent with true wisdom to "search out the matter,” and, having weighed impartially the evidence on either side, to draw a fair conclusion, than to attempt to cut it short by the mere ipse dixit of an individual, which, after all, must be of very secondary importance. It is sometimes convenient to cut that knot, which might prove too hard for us to untie.

WILLIAN RECTORY,

19th Jan. 1832.

xiv. 4.) By spirit, I understand that sublimer part of man, which is termed by the same Apostle in another place, "the spirit of the mind.” (Eph. iv. 23.) If correct in these ideas, the soul is to be considered as the seat of the intellectual and reasoning faculties, and the spirit principally of spiritual gifts, some of which can exist, and are capable of exercise in the spirit, independently of the soul. (1 Cor. xiv. 2, 14.) Hence Mary says, "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour;" (Luke, i. 47.) where the proper seat of joy in God is found to be the spirit. "And this part of the mind," says Goodwin, (vol. iv. part ii. book ii. p. 123.), "is more sublime, purer, and more lively than any other, and formed for infinitely greater pleasures than all our external senses and appetites. These are vastly deep and most capacious gulphs, which can at one draught take in and drink more of pleasures and joys than all the other lower powers of the soul, (which are only subservient to these, as purveyors of pleasures for them,) and they are able to collect, to treasure, and to heap up these joys unto eternity." For every good gift which we possess, natural or spiritual, we are indebted to "the Word of God," as "the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John, i. 9.) The former includes those which are given to us in the womb, "when, in all essential parts, the body of a child is a perfect body, as Adam's

was when God gave him his soul."* These, when we come into life, "grow with our growth, and strengthen with our strength:" these are capable of improvement, by proper culture, and attain to great perfection, altogether distinct from the other. The latter gifts are of quite another sort, and, existing independently of the former, are bestowed in another way, and commonly at another time. These again must be divided, as they include those gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are usually called Christian graces, such as justifying faith, hope, love, joy, peace, &c.; and those of which the Apostle speaks, when he says,

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Concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." With these we have now to do; and, the first things to be ascertained are, their number and titles. In St. Paul's writings we shall find almost all the information needful upon the subject.

In 1 Cor. xii. 8, 10, we meet with the greater number of the "diversities of gifts" which were given, by the Spirit, to the members of the body of Christ.

The Word of Wisdom, The Word of Knowledge, Faith, The Gifts of Healing, The Working of Mi

* Archbishop Usher's Divinity, p. 92.

I specify the word "commonly," because it may be said, that Jeremiah and John the Baptist were exceptions to the remark, who were sanctified, the one "in," the other "from," his mother's womb. (Jer. i. 5.; Luke, i. 15.)